Yesterday was Regina's 13th birthday and there was a party at her house.  It was the usual crowd, Regina had a bunch of friends, too cold to swim in the pond, but just right to sit on the porch and see the mountains.  Kevin had moved one of the living room couches on the porch, and that is where something happened that has impressed me and stayed in my head.  Rachael's little cousin was standing looking at the couch, when Rachael lifted her and put her on the couch.  Marysol immediately put her head down on one of the big soft pillows and looked tired.  And Rachael said, "Do you want to go hi-e-hi-e?"

Now this was something I had heard all my life.  Grandma Burky said it, Bucky said it a million times - "Let's go hi-e-hi-e", "Close your eyes and go hi-e-hi-e".  I said it to my kids, rocking them to sleep.  It was almost a lullaby -hi-e-hi-e.  And here years later Rachael is saying it.  I looked at her and said, my mother said that all the time, and Rachael eyes changed and she said, "Mom used to say that".  I just thought that was so significant, a siimple made up word, or maybe it sounds like that in my Grandmother's language, but there it was generations later.  I hadn't said or thought of hi-e-hi-e for years and then it pops up.  Family - don't ever underestimate it.

First, an update on the turkeys.  Now the mama turkey has only one baby, but he or she is getting bigger and now they come with three aunts, other female turkeys to help her keep the little one in control.  Timmy caught him in the garden, acutally caught him, held the baby to show me, and when he put him down, the baby ran off fast to his mother.  Maybe that will teach him to stay closer and not be so curious.

Now the big news is Cape Cod - the annual trek will be this Saturday, coming up fast.  The cast of characters keeps changing, but we will have a full house.  Also, Rachael has a house the first week, and Kevin has a house for the two weeks, like us.  Kevin wrote about Cape Cod, his regrets that he didn't spend every vacation, every day at the Cape with Maria, but the times he did spend there are etched in his head, just like all of the rest of us.  We can see Ria walking with first Jer, then Rachael, then Regina, holding their hand, carrying a pail, bending down to pick up a shell, examining it and then adding it to the pail.  We can see her with the big bag full of goodies, books to read, toys for the kids.  We can see her sitting in the chair in the water, head bent over a Harry Potter book, looking up to keep her eye on the kids in the water.  We can see that great big smile on her face - Wellfleet was truly her second home, as Kevin pointed out in his story.  And their home reflected it, collections of seashells, sand in jars, buckets of rocks, memories that she brought back to remind her and keep her close to her second home.

Cape Cod is like that to all of us, good memories of years ago, little kids have grown up, pictures in albums and boxes full of the changing, growing, getting older, but still the joy of being at the Cape.  This year my sister Kathy and her family are coming for the second week.  The new grandchild, not even a year, will be there, as well as his cousin Mina.  New children to share the memories.  Bon Voyage.

Well Clay Hill Road is looking like the Nature Channel, with turkeys running all around both sides of the road.  The old Tom Turkey is still alive, I thought he was shot when I didn't see him for a while.  But a few days ago he showed up again, with three or four ladies.  He looks different though.  His tail feathers, that were once pristine, now hang in awkward positions.  His strut is slower and I think he's tired out.  There is a hen turkey that came with three babies, now only two, but they are cute.  She clucks to them, and they follow her all around, and even peck at the cracked corn.

This morning, I was having my coffee when I saw another tom turkey in the front yard.  He came right up to the picture window, and looked (I thought at me) but he was watching his reflection.  Thinking it was a competitor, he suddenly jumped up and attacked the window.  "That's it", I yelled, stupid turkey, knocking on the window to scare him away.  I guess they really don't have much brains.

We also have red squirrels - nasty little fighters that can fend off the gray squirrels that are more than twice their size.  And this year, we have an albino red squirrel.  He's white.  Like a ghost. 

I really have to get some pictures so people believe me.  I white red squirrel - who would have thought.